Marilyn Michaels: Jewish Show Biz Royalty

An interview with a star of stage and screen with real "yichus” -- lineage.

Award-winning comedienne, singer, impressionist, actress, and artist, Marilyn Michaels, knew she was “different” early. Voden? After all, Marilyn comes from major Yiddish show biz yichus with the DNA to prove it. She’s the daughter of the late feisty cantoress Fraydele Oysher, and Metropolitan Opera basso, Harold Sternberg. Her uncle was the legendary Moishe Oysher. If others were “born in a trunk,” Marilyn was born somewhere between the Yiddish Theater and the Derma Road (the Catskills).

Marilyn was born somewhere between Yiddish Theater at the Catskills.

Says Marilyn: “Different? When I was three, we were vacationing in a kuchalayn (a cottage in the Catskills). While my family was out playing cards, thinking I was tucked safely in my crib, I climbed out, and walked outside onto the dark road. A car came careening around a curve. What did I do when I saw the headlights coming toward me? Did I run? No. I sang and danced! To me they were spotlights! Voden?

“Different?” Yes. And that difference has won her awards for Catskills On Broadway, the starring role in the national company of Funny Girl, an Emmy winning TV series, The Kopykats, and countless guest appearances from Lifestyles with Robin Leach to The Tonight Show. Marilyn has performed in virtually every major venue from Town Hall, to Harrahs, singing in no less than five languages.

Marilyn is also an accomplished painter whose artworks are shown in fine galleries. Her famous art poster, The Fabulous Blondes, depicts a mural consisting of movie goddesses.

I recently asked Marilyn to talk about her life, her work, and of course, her legacy.

Q#1. Marilyn, what was it like being “different” – wildly talented and part of a special family?

MM: I was always a strange kid. Always singing … from birth. I walked on stage in my diapers! I was sent to sleep away camp at age five. I hated it. The counselors particularly hated me because they had to braid my pigtails every morning. But, they recognized that I had talent or whatever, because I was always starring in the camp shows… ya know? Like “Tick Tock” or whatever. What a little ham I was (This is a Jewish site, but I was still a “ham!”) After one show, I parted the curtain and took a solo curtain call – for myself! Such chutzpah!

My mother prided herself in keeping me a “normal” child by sending me to “regular” school … like they thought maybe I’d become a what? Nurse? Or a physicist? I didn’t fit in. I felt like a pariah. There was a group of good looking girls, who ignored me. I was an outsider, and, as many successful people was not part of the “IN group. Then, one holiday, the teacher asked if anyone could “do” something for the class. Like, ahem, perform? So, of course I marched up there and blew them away. The kids ran up to give me their Christmas stockings filled with candy! At that moment I realized what power I really had. And it had to do with performing. When I grew up, those girls who ignored me back then came to my shows and were all over me.

Q#2. What was it like being raised by these icons and how did it affect your career choice?

MM: Well, from the time I was one, I lived in the theater. Watching my mother on stage, that glamorous figure, her beauty, power, and grace, I was transfixed. The rest of the time I’d spend at the Metropolitan Opera where my father was a basso profundo. As a kid, I would sit in on the dress rehearsals of Lucia with Sutherland … and eat my bagel, lox and cream cheese – and finish it off with a Snicker’s Bar. I think the press wanted to kill me because I made noise. But it was a great time, meeting Lily Pons and Roberta Peters. They smelled of perfume, with jangling jewelry, and were so gracious to this little 9-year-old kid. It all seemed normal because I was born into it. My Uncle Moishe (Oysher) would sing at the Pines during the High Holy Days, and he knew I had “it” – or whatever you call “it” today. I was a soloist at 14. He was so phenomenal, such a blazing master of song and liturgical music. And here I was, doing solos with him. There is no word to describe that experience except, “transcendent.”

Q#3. What is your earliest memory of performing “professionally?”

MM: My mother called me up on stage. It was at the National Theater on Houston and Second Avenue. I was seven, in the theater as usual, wearing my little dress … blue with a rainbow design on the skirt. And she said, ‘Is my daughter Marilyn in the audience? Marilyn will you come up here?’ We sang a duet in Hebrew. That was the beginning because then she took me on stage with her on the holidays and vacations from school.

Q#4: You experienced the Yiddish Theater first-hand. What stands out in your memory about those times?

MM: Oh, it was wonderful! I was back stage all the time with Molly Picon, Henrietta Jacobsen (Bruce Adler’s mother), Dinah Goldberg. They held me as a tiny baby while my mother was on stage. As a child, they treated me with respect, never with a disregard or with the attitude that children should be seen and not heard. They were genuinely warm. Then, when I began to perform they were duly proud. They were terrific comediennes and I absorbed that from them as well as from my mother.

Q#5: Turning to the Catskills, you were a headliner at a very young age. What do you remember best about “The Derma Road?”

MM: The casino, the shows, the morning with the Cream of Wheat. The smell of the musty rooms, the swimming pool – and the cute busboys! It was very much like the film Dirty Dancing. But it became a true training ground for me when I began to work. Today, there’s no place to fail … no place to learn anymore

Q#6: What are your thoughts on how being Jewish informs you and other artists?

MM: I come from a Jewish heritage that is indeed “Royal.” Jewish Music when done the way my family did it, is great indeed. Moishe was the greatest Cantor, actor, film star… he did it all. Many of today’s Cantors… I don't know, they cannot compare to their predecessors. (A lot of them need to lay off the brisket.) Part of being a Cantor is being a great performer as well. Many Jewish cantors were often opera singers who came straight out of the Metropolitan Opera, such as Jan Peerce and Richard Tucker.

Jewish comedy writers are without a doubt, the state of the art globally, from Woody Allen to Mel Brooks to Aaron Sorkin who just won the Oscar for best screenplay. Jews are brilliant in so many of the creative arts, comedy and music heading the list. The entire American Songbook is almost exclusively a Jewish Boys Club except for a few guys like Cole Porter, and of course the tremendous African American influence.

Q#8: How would you summarize your remarkable life?

MM: I hope it's not over yet! I’ve just entered a phase where I’m writing music, and it’s such an exciting thing. The creative part of my life, aside from performing is painting because art is a huge part of who I am. But being creative as a composer is a thrill, and I hope to get the show mounted. I’d be on Cloud 9! And indeed, I’ve been up there … sharing the stage with Moishe, Mom, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Orson Welles, and the list goes on and on. There’s the thrill of being part of that … part of the best!

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Quirky, no-nonsense, funny, Marnie – writer, editor, author, lecturer, clinician, and administrator -- is a straight-shooter, who has a distinctive voice and takes on the world in her columns, features, and books. Her advice column was syndicated through Tribune Media Services, and it currently appears in Singular magazine as Singular Solutions. Marnie has written over 20 books/calendars, including the series “A Little Joy, A Little Oy." Her books include Yiddishe Mamas: The Truth About the Jewish Mother and A Little Joy, A Little Oy (pub. AndrewsMcMeel). She is also an award-winning “calendar queen” having written over 20. She has been nominated for both an Emmy and Writers Guild award.Thefullwiki.org has listed Marnie Macauley on their list of top Jewish_American writers, dead or living. (She’s still deciding which.) She was also chosen as a Distinguished Woman in Las Vegas in March of 2014.

Visitor Comments: 4

(4)
a.figlin,
August 15, 2011 8:36 PM

You and Freydle Oysher that was and must still be the most beautiful music. Where can I get ti? please answer. It as the most beautiful recording your uncle was also magnificent. Please contact me and let me know. Sincerely Anna Figlin @figlin@rcn.com

(3)
Dr Judy Kuriansky,
June 25, 2011 12:43 AM

great article about brilliant performer inspirational about Jewish heritage

Wonderfuly written article that brings alive one of the most energetic and talented entertainers of our day. Marilyn Michaels is a good friend whom I adore and admire. She is so multi-facted in her stage work adn also her artwork. I get a chance to interview her this Sunday at the Jewish Heritage Museum in Freehold New Jersey!

(2)
Phil Peltz,
June 21, 2011 4:11 PM

Here's Marnie

What a refreshing story. A revelation to me. Moishe Oysher took me , when my father died very young, as an orphan, on his knee in the shul and Yiddish theater.

(1)
Bill Kagan,
June 20, 2011 5:54 PM

The great Marilyn Michaels

Thank you Marnie for your interview with the multi- talented Marilyn Michaels whom I had lost track of over the years.
Her own singing voice was at least as good as that of the stars she parodied (Barbra, Eartha Kitt, Donna Summers, Edie Gorme, etc) as well as some non-singers that I recall such as Elizabeth Taylor, Dr. Ruth, Katherine Hepburn, etc, etc. But when added to that her ability to actually look like the person she was impersonating and incorporate their personal schtick, the results were unfailingly amazing and hilarious. And besides, she was gorgeous.
So Marilyn, if you read this, we admire your involvement with the "finer" arts like painting and composing but we need you up there...performing!
With best wishes from a fellow kuchalayn remeniscer,
Bill Kagan

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I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

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Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

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Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
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